I hit local flea markets early here at least four days a week, so I have lot’s of ‘em.

An 1176LN for $5.00 out of a box of assorted junk on a summer day that was so hot, there were only five or six sellers at the market. Good thing I decided to make the trip out.

A pair of 1176LN’s (they’re all over the place out here) about a year later at another flea market. The guy I purchased them from had just bought them from someone else and was running back to his car with his booty. I asked him if he wanted to sell them, but he shook his head “no”, and said he wanted to show them to his pal, because he wasn’t sure what they were worth. I took a shot, and offered him $300.00 for the pair. He went for it. I know, I’m a heel...

A pair of MD421’s for $17.00

A beat to heck ‘70 P bass for $50.00. It’s a great player.

A beat to heck ‘81 G&L L2000E for $65.00 (why are they always beat to heck?)

A ‘67 Marshall Plexi Super Bass head for $80. I talked ‘em down from $120.00. Yeah, I know. I’m a heel. Karma struck soon after when I took it to a local tech to check it out. He was messing with the jack and he put a nice crack in the plexi-panel. I swore I could hear someone laughing somewhere...

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

Well, this definately sounds better than it was. I was at a university in Canada, taking private music lessons in Detroit for 3 years - once after a lesson, and kicking around downtown, I come back to my car window busted, and my horn gone! I was astounded, and thought the worst. After thinking a bit more, I went 'round to the pawn brokers in the area - 3rd place I stop at, I see my horn - tell the owner I'll give him 300 bucks for it, and bought my horn back then and there! Unreal, huh? The kicker is I just bought the horn a few months earlier for 7 grand (brand new), so I figure i got off lucky - I've had insurance on all my gear since that episode...

When I was finishing my undergrad (at another university), I bought a Rhodes 73 with an ibanez stereo chorus for 100 bucks - when I graduated, and was leaving the city (montreal) I didn't have room for it, so sold it (kept the ibanez) for 70 bucks. Fast forward 15+ yrs., and a buddy sells me his "suitcase" 73 for 75 bucks. Not a mark on it, tho could stand a good run-over about now...

PS - raiding the local radio stations has been a habit of better "scroungers" than I - a few 1176's, Spectrasonics 610, and an Amek CIB was salvaged from gathering dust in their basement - unfortunately, it wasn't me that got them...

I used to buy and sell analogue synths and drum machines around '93-'95.Half of the gear I have today has been financed by the profits of those deals. Nothing too interesting really.. Well, I once bought Korg ms10, ms50 and sq10 for

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

Some years ago I was in Scam Cash visiting a buddy who was a manager there and a kid came in with a small bodied Gibson. At the time I was playing in the New Standard Tuning (CGDAEG) and was happy to hear some blues riffs on the little Gibson.

The kid was unable to sell it, as a minor, and i couldn't put it down ... perfect intonation all the way up the neck and great tone.

So I followed him out to the parking lot ... "how much?"

"I was hoping to get $250"

"How about $200?"

"Fine"

I went to the cash machine, and at the time was fortunate to have $200 free. To this day have never recorded a better sounding acoustic than this 1947 LG2.

I caled the police to see if it was stolen and they said "It may be but with no serial number and no police report ... enjoy it!"

However, Ive still got the Gretsch Chet Atkins Nashville model bought used in 1968 for 200 bucks - with my paper route money.

Last year I saw one on 47th street in NYC with a 5,000 sticker price on it.

One other item. I had the good fortune to live and work in Tokyo for 5 years in the mid-nineties (great music town).In Japan western gear is very expensive and Japanese stuff is equal to or sometimes a bit cheaper than in the US. I was just reviving my musical activities at the time. I bought a Mackie mixer in the US and carried it back to Tokyo. Six months later, when affordable digital consoles with automation became available, I traded the Mackie into a dealer in Shibuya for 20% More than I paid for it in the states.I think thats called arbitrage.

My best deal was five McIntosh 200 watt amplifiers for $150. A friend and I had driven down to check out an electronics surplus joint in Ohio. I spotted the power supply to a Mac 200 lying on the floor with a $75 price tag on it. I asked the salesman if there were any more. He said "sure, I've got a whole rack of that sh!t in the back. Sell you the whole thing for $150." I trashed the rear springs on my brand new 1969 Cougar driving the amps back up to Detroit.